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Portuguese-style chicken shop Joybird is coming to Hyde Park

Nesting just a few doors down from its sister restaurant Nido, Joybird will update the suburban chicken shop concept for the modern era.

Words: Geena Ho

Pictures: Johnny von Einem

Adam Liston, the illustrious chef behind Leigh Street’s Shōbōsho, and hitmaker restaurateur, Simon Kardachi, will soon launch their take on a suburban chicken shop restaurant – Joybird, destined for King William Road, Hyde Park later this year.

“It’s a concept that Simon and I have been working on for over a year, maybe two years,” says Adam.

Simon has had a strong presence in the area since his earliest days owning restaurants, launching The Melting Pot in 1999, and has continued to maintain a foothold in the area, with Melt Pizzeria and The Pot, the latter of which was recently relaunched as Nido and headed up by Max Sharrad.

Both Simon and Adam have had their eye on the prime corner site for years, and are sure of Hyde Park’s longevity as a dining destination.

“I think the good thing about it is that it used to be a street, probably ten years ago, that, arguably, would have been one of Adelaide’s busiest or higher profile streets,” says Adam.

“But the street still has a lot of potential, and I think that the upgrade of that street and the energy the council’s going to put into that area’s going to put a lot more focus back onto it.”

Chef Adam Liston. This image: Jonathan van der Knaap

With a young family of his own living in the area, Adam has drawn inspiration from his own childhood memories (and that of almost every Australian), of visiting the local chicken and chip shop.

“We didn’t want to just reproduce a chicken and chip shop, but the bones of what a chicken and chip shop does is still very accessible to people. I think we just wanted to elaborate on it and take it to a different place,” he says.

Joybird’s point of difference will come in Adam’s use of Portuguese cooking methods – opening the chickens up instead of roasting them whole, and making use of interesting seasonings and dressings, as well as incorporating healthy alternatives in roasted vegetables and salads.

Taking up residency in what was once Zoe’s Restaurant, and then Plato’s Philosopher’s Kitchen, Joybird will focus on good food and good atmosphere, offering a welcome revision of chicken and chips, made for the modern era.

“It all centres around a fairly unique kitchen which has got a custom-built grill, built by the same guys that built the grill at Shōbōsho, so pretty serious bits of equipment,” Adam says.

“There’s a vibe where you can come in and have a really clean, casual look to the place, but also not just walking into a takeaway shop.”

We now wait with bated breath for the Joybird’s grand opening, slated for later this year.